FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 10, 2002
DEP
Honors Water Facilities with Excellence Awards
TALLAHASSEE -- The
Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Division
of Water Resource Management presented awards to three
public drinking water and eight domestic wastewater
facilities from around the state at the annual Plant
Operations Excellence Awards ceremony in Tallahassee.
“Good management and
maintenance are essential for maximizing the security of
water facilities,” said DEP’s Director of Water
Resource Management Mimi Drew. “This is DEP’s salute
to those operations whose commitment to management
excellence and dedicated professionalism ensure a reliable
supply of safe drinking water for Floridians.”
DEP’s annual excellence
awards recognize public drinking water and domestic
wastewater facilities that demonstrate excellence in
operation, maintenance, innovative treatment, waste
reduction and pollution prevention, conservation,
recycling, and other special achievements. Criteria used
in selecting regional and statewide winners include
compliance history for the last two years, record keeping
and reporting, customer relations, outstanding operation
and maintenance practices, and staff and safety training.
Among the winners were several of the state’s military
installations.
“This is another example
of national security merging with environmental
protection,” said DEP Deputy Secretary for Regulatory
Programs Allan Bedwell. “The recognition earned by
military installations assures Floridians that we are
achieving our strong defense and environmental objectives
together.”
Drinking Water Treatment
Plant 2002 State Award Winners:
- Orange County
Utilities/Eastern Regional Water Supply Facility,
large community water system (CWS) category.
- Beacon Hills/Cobblestone
Drinking Water System, Jacksonville, small CWS
category.
- Silver Flag Water
System, Tyndall Air Force Base, non-transient
non-community water system category.
Drinking Water Treatment
Plant 2002 District Award Winners:
- Destin Water Users,
Inc., large CWS category
- Palm Coast Community
Water System, large CWS category
- Island Water
Association, Sanibel, large CWS category
- Cosme Water Treatment
Plant/City of St. Petersburg, large CWS category
- City of Stuart Water
Treatment Facility, large CWS category
- Farm Hill Utilities,
Inc., Cantonment, small CWS category
- St. Lucie West Services
District, small CWS category
Domestic Wastewater
Treatment Plant (WWTP) District Award Winners:
- Silver Flag Training
Complex WWTP, Tyndall Air Force Base
- Eglin Air Force Base
Test Site C-6 WWTP
- Alligator Park WWTP,
Punta Gorda
- Palm Coast WWTP
- Hurlburt Field Advanced
Wastewater Treatment Facility
- Orange County
Utilities/Northwest Wastewater Reclamation Facility
- St. Lucie West Services
District WWTP
- Valrico Advanced WWTP
Plant, Hillsborough County
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